69 Responses

Right now, williepitt is offering burnt sacrifices and dancing in the woods with sticks to pull Trader Joe’s and its “exquisite” food to our humble neck of the woods.
It would be funny if they were really talking about Albany, Georgia, though. I have nothing against well-run stores as Trader Joe’s appears to be, but the snobbery and zealotry displayed by its proponents is a turn-off.

I hope they do come so Willie the Pit can spend her time roaming the aisles in awe and give her computer keyboard a rest. Another question for the TU blogs………if they do come what story can be run over and over and over the generate page hits? Oh I know…..I know…….WEGMANS comming soon ……….

I heard they’re replacing Empire Plaza with one huge Trader Joe’s. The biggest ever! And then they’re building a Whole Foods/Wegmans right on top of it. And on top of that: the biggest Ikea you’ve ever seen.

Those quotes from the business review remind me of an old SNL skit in which Ed Asner tells the control room staff at a nuclear power plant, “Remember, you can’t put too much water in a nuclear reactor.”

Oh no stop the Press …..Ole Willie wrote “Stephen (#4), you immaturity shows.”….HA HA HA.she wrote YOU IMMATURITY……everyone point that out too her quick becuase there is no room for incorrect language usage according to her……….

What a bunch of idiots! 15 posts and not one commenting on the reporting of the story. Just bashing of the people who want it. If you are not interested in this store coming here, ignore it, and when it opens, don’t go. Less traffic and more product for those of us who want it here and will be happy when it DOES open here.

TJ’s “arrival in Albany” has generated multiple, entertaining threads on this blog. I could not care less if they come here or not. williepitt et. al. have an eternal (likely viagra induced) boner about this store…yet there is no ‘story’, is there? Just frenzy fuled rumors, hyperbole and sheer madness (and EKC and EKC – whatever that is, ask williepitt) about another overpriced, yuppie-filled retail outlet.

Why am I a child? Because I used questionable language (I will point out your screenname is a euphemism for ‘vagina’)or because I called you out on a simple spelling/grammar error you so often rip into others about. Show me.

Recently moved to the Washington DC area and have visited both Whole Foods and Trader Joes. Found nothing to go out of the way for and miss spending my money locally like I could with Price Chopper. Basically the size of the metro area defines selection. Most of the grocery stores here sell what Whole and Trader do. Because of the demands of a 8 million population. The Capital Region’s under one million gets the selection it can support… less selection.

I’ve been one of the “We Want Trader Joe’s” group for a long time now, but I’ve come to feel differently. Bruce Roter, wherever you are, forgive me for what I’m about to say.

I’ve come to feel that if Trader Joe’s — or Wegman’s, or Whole Foods, or whatever — doesn’t WANT to be here, then I don’t *want* them here either. I don’t want them to have to be cajoled, wheedled, and browbeaten into coming. I don’t want them to make a half-assed commitment, by opening a smaller store than they might if their demographics gave them a rosier picture of the market here.

Any store that opens here should be *enthusiastic* about it. And I think TJ’s has made it clear that they are anything BUT enthusiastic.

Oh, Josho – that’s an excellent point. I have never been quite sure why the Capital District never seems to make the cut demographically, but I’m starting to get a little resentful of it. As George Carlin famously said – “F#@% ’em!”.

I think that is a good point. If a chain is going to geographically stretch its limits, wouldn’t it be safe to assume that the distribution to a ‘remote’ location would suffer as compared to more geographically convenient locations…and as a result, wouldn’t the local experience suffer as compared to the other, established locations?

Bill in GF and williepitt (I have a hard time writing that now thanks to @25 but I still haven’t stopped laughing, juvenile I know…but hysterical)- Please consider the 3/50 project, check it out…buy local and help the excellent businesses that we already have stay in business. As I have said in the past, I have sold as a supplier to TJ’s they are REALLY nothing special…they buy junk…the product that we sold them was outdated and almost unsaleable and we stripped our label off and re labelled for TJ’s so they could mark it up 5x and still have the price look inexpensive on an expensive looking package….Go ahead suckers…shop your hearts out at TJ’s while our local stores, including Price Chopper suffer. If you want to pray on bended knee each night, at least pray for a Wegman’s they are Upstate NY based and sell quality merchandise at a fair price…and have been voted as one of the best employers in the US for many years straight…

Never been to TJs, but been to Wegmans many times when in the Buffalo area. Wegmans is great, as I am sure TJs is, for the occasional visit. But honestly I’d prefer a market like Dash’s in the Buffalo area, great market without the fluff that most people will never buy. A market for the 99%ers. No they do not sell whole truffles like Wegmans.

1. I lived in the Boston area, shopped at Trader Joe’s a lot and really liked it. I wish there was one here, that’s all. My wife is an even bigger fan and there are times we will route home on trips just to stop at a TJ or a Whole Foods. (In fact, I can guarantee we will stop when we go visit her parents in Maine for the weekend.

I do not know Wegman’s at all.

2. She shops at the Albany Co-op as much as posssible, and we often hit two farmers’ markets on Saturdays. We have a full CSA share from Kilpatrick’s in Granville as well. We do support local food.

The more options the better for the consumer and for the area in general. I welcome Trader Joes but it is not my first choice. This store carries a very limited number of carefully and strategically selected SKUS compared to most national grocery/food chain stores. The business model is to identify the fastest moving products, buy in huge quantities, and package under TJ label. There is nothing wrong with this approach – it simply means a very different shopping experience and very limited selection as compared to Whole Foods which would be my first choice. TJ does not offer prepared hot food like WF and the new ShopRite which for me is a negative but it does not fit with their business model – it is intentional to keep overhead costs significantly lower.

For what it is worth, WF did have some corporate reps looking at expansion in upstate New York from Albany to Buffalo. So far nothing has materialized and who knows if it ever will but I applaud the efforts of those who have participated in the campaign to bring TJ to Albany. I could not disagree more with Josho’s comments – it is business, not personal. Once the decision is made to come, there will be a 100% commitment from corporate to make it a success.

DL, businesses absolutely have the ability to move forward with projects that they’re not enthusiastic about, and do so all the time. And when they do, the lack of commitment shows quite vividly. TJ’s, like any other corporation, is run by people, and people act very differently according to how much faith they have that their efforts will ultimately be successfully.

“100% commitment” is a good standard public relations phrase, but we all know full well that, behind the scenes, companies make half-hearted efforts *all the time.* Let’s not kid ourselves that human nature is magically nullified within corporations.

I would recommend “Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind,” “The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing” (both by Ries and Trout), or “Business Blunders” by Geoff Tibballs if you’d like to read some stories of how stupidity, lack of faith, lack of enthusiasm, stubbornness, pride, and other purely human qualities conspire to lead even the biggest, “smartest” companies to embark on failing ventures, some colossal, some not. (Let’s talk about how pride sunk the short-lived “Life Savers Gum”, for instance — and then, once pride flew out the window, the same gum became a top-seller under the name “Hubba Bubba.”)

TJ’s has not shown any enthusiasm for a presence here. I would say that that enthusiasm is a prerequisite for a successful business venture. Public pressure is just the opposite. Corporations who are pressured publicly into action often do a poor job of it, because it’s not something that the higher-ups in the company really wanted to do in the first place.

Kinda to # 18. When you speak of personal attacks, I assume you speak of attacks on williepitt, who is a world class geezer. – But, I think when it comes to personal attacks, it doesn’t apply to aliases. williepitt is a miserable troll most of the time, as is Buck Peterman. Great comment #25.

Bill In Glens Falls, you wrote the most solid argument yet for Trader Joe’s, since you stated that you both like TJ’s, AND you make an honest effort to buy local from co-ops and farmers’ markets.
My demonstrated skepticism thoughout this ongoing debate was generated from the rather snobbish reaction I have received from asking some simple questions, plus the fact that many here are painting a picture of Trader Joe’s as the Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory of food stores; to accept otherwise is both boorish and unpatriotic.
Suffice to say, without seeing what a Trader Joe’s is in person, I’ll gladly trade about 99% of the Price Choppers and about 75% of the Hannafords in the area for a quality food store.

At the risk of subjecting myself to more immature, childish attacks, I will respond to Jim’s (#48) comment.

Jim, I have also pointed out that we shop at co-ops; both the Honest Weight and the one in NIskayuna. Moreover, we greatly enjoy and shop when possible at farmers’ markets, especially the one in Troy but also in Schenectady.

With that in mind, I would have hoped that our love for Trader Joe’s – acquired through repeated shopping at its stores many miles from here – would also have been given some credit.

On the other hand, we shop primarily at Price Chopper since it offers a large variety of the things we routinely eat. We don’t think it’s so bad. It certainly compares, not unfavorably, with the supermarkets we frequented when living in Cleveland.

Aside from the very first, and very last sentences, there is nothing in this post from you for us ‘children’ to ‘work’ on. It is a reasonable and informative writing which still serves to assert your opinion. The best part is that it does so in the absence of condescension and grammar lessons.

More like these, please? For the sake of the underlying purpose of this blog.

D (#50), I will listen to you – provided you first explain what is more adult than “condescension and grammar lessons” about saying (#25) “I will point out your screenname is a euphemism for ‘vagina’”.

I am not sure if Williepit has ever corrected me on my punctuation or english grammar, I do know that I have posted enough to give ammo to shoot at me.
I’ve got great reason to not know if Williepit ever has gone after my posts, I could care less, I am the first to admit that i wish I paid much more attention in school during English class, I didn’t and I am sure it shows in my Posts, no big deal.
I read Williepit’s posts every time he is on here, he adds to the discussion and most of the time has a lot to add, usually much more information than I ever have.
All I can do now is thank Steve for this avenue to express our opinions about Food and Food Venues in this area and let’s consider ourselves lucky we can patronize restaurants and possibly a Trader Joe’s if it comes here.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Williepitt – mrs London and placid baker both have “exquisite” croissant(s) and are a lot closer than the nearest TJ. Buying theirs would support local businesses and I’d bet they are exquisitely better.

Yes, I can go to store A in Saratoga for exquisite A’, and store B in Coeymans for exquisite B’, and store C in Canajoharie for exquisite C’, and ekc. ekc. (OK people, raise a ruckus).

Or I can wish for a local TJ’s where I can get all of them in one trip.

Your (and others’) obsession about supporting local business is fine, and I approve – WHEN POSSIBLE. But don’t be one of those people stupidly calling me a “hypocrite” because I don’t carry it to ridiculous extremes by driving all over the map on a shopping trip. None of you sanctimonious ones do that, no matter how loudly you proclaim how virtuous it is.

And yes, I’m sure your next move is to go after me for driving all the way to the nearest TJ’s. That’s why I want one here: to shut you up. 🙂

“True – but unfortunately buying croissants at Mrs. London’s means you have to put up with the unparalleled pretense and snobbery that comes from the ownership and staff.
Comment by Mike — December 28th, 2011 @ 10:38 am”

I’m not sure that the European version of Budweiser would have me running out to TJ’s. I don’t even like Budweiser when it’s made in Europe. Now if they sold a European version of Ommegang beers, then my interest would be piqued.